If you look at the Wikipedia article cited for Heydrich, Reinhard, 1904-1942, and go to the section headed "external links", subsection "authority control", you will see links to the LCNAF and the VIAF, among others. 


Why are we replicating information from various sources, rather than linking to them?  Or maybe linking isn't even necessary, because people who want to read summaries of Heydrich's life can search Wikipedia (or Google).  If they want a book about him, they can search a library catalog, with the aid of an authority record that identifies him and distinguishes him from others.


I am feeling more and more out of step with the direction that NACO is taking (in fits and starts, and with much discussion).


But I'm retiring at the end of April.


Amy




From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Julian Everett Allgood <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2018 7:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PCCLIST] Hmm, ... about those anti-semites
 
Colleagues :

Hi -- while we are on this subject of "enhanced" Name Authority Records/Entity descriptions, I wonder if I could ask a somewhat related question of the Collected Wisdom.

Over the winter break, I re-read Hannah Arendt's masterful, Eichmann in Jerusalem, describing the 1961 trial of the Nazi, Adolf Eichmann.
In the book, Arendt names names, and while I was reading I took notes.

Last week I updated some of the names from my notes for those folks who have LC/NAF Name Authority Records.
For example, 

Heydrich, Reinhard, 1904-1942 (n 50082721), 

Globocnik, Odilo, 1904-1945 (n 84182607), 

Theresienstadt (Concentration camp) (no 96065698),

Duckwitz, Georg Ferdinand, 1904-1973 (no2003032418), 

Dimitrov, Georgi, 1882-1949 (n 80050514).

I am curious whether these sorts of NACO "enhancements" will be seen as beneficial and helpful. 
That is do these additional attributes, facets, and detail help move us closer to a linked data environment?

Or should NYU be prepared for additional calls in the next couple of weeks to remove this "superfluous" data?
That is, before we proceed with "enhancing" any additional LC/NAF Entity descriptions, I would value PCC feedback 
on whether such efforts help move the library community forward.

Thank you very much for any thoughts, comments or suggestions.
with best regards,
everett  

--
*************************

Everett Allgood
Authorities Librarian & Principal Serials Cataloger
New York University Libraries
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212 998 2488